Bernie. Does that sound like the name of the President of the free world? It doesnt, but this is the 74 year old haggard looking self-proclaimed democratic socialist who excited over 13 million Americans to come out, "feel the Bern" and vote for him in the primaries; his campaign drawing some of the largest and most energetic crowds in American history. But much to the dismay and discontent of many of his supporters, he endorsed Hilary Clinton formally two days ago bringing a stop to his riveting campaign.
When Sanders first announced his campaign in April 2015; few news channels were covering it and almost no one taking him seriously. He was at the receiving end of several jokes, many not knowing who he was (he is a Senator from Vermont, having served the house as an independent for 16 years).
But for those who did not know Senator Sanders, he made sure they did in the past year. His campaign took over the political landscape like a storm, amassing and mobilizing millions of people across the country, breaking fundraising records; his message resonating overwhelmingly with young millennial and those that worried most about Americas sliding economy.
Until May of 2016, Sanders campaign had raised $222million through legions of small donors with average donations of $27, a fact that is unprecedented in the history of United States politics. Meanwhile his adversaries on both sides of the political coin rely heavily on big investors that fund political campaigns through Political Action Committees (super PACs), a warped system that Bernie has criticized many times, and calling out his opponents on their campaign finances.
This is the guy who famously voted No for the Iraq war against Hilary Clinton, the then Secretary of State and the now Presidential nominee for the Democratic Party. A vote that was highly unpopular at the time.
He has berated Clinton for being supported by the Wall Street that he visibly abhors. He called for free healthcare for all, free college, the end of big trade deals like the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) and most of all, highlighted the domestic issues that were chipping off the American middle class bit by bit. He wanted to tackle increasing income inequality and claimed he would break the big banks and overhaul the tax system so big businesses would pony up.
His ideology, divorced from mainstream democratic policies, was the very charm of Bernies political revolution that enthralled people who were tired of establishment politics and yearned for change. Sanders phenomenon raised political awareness and most of all interest in people who were not politically inclined. He drew out thousands who were independent, undecided and unlikely to vote in elections.
But it was this demographic that ultimately resulted in his failure to secure enough wins against Clinton in the primaries. Sanders was voted on predominantly by male, white, youth. He won 70 percent of the under-30 vote that made up for only 17 percent of all voters and took less than a third of the vote among those aged 45-64 and older, that accounted for 60 percent of the overall electorate. Age is not just a number after all and holds substantial power.
Sanders said he would fight Clinton in the Democratic National Convention but sane politics took the better off him where he bit the hard nut and endorsed her and will now be following her on the campaign trail. Many of his supporters find it absurd claiming they would never vote for Hilary but without this move, he knew as well as everyone else that America could very well be witnessing a nightmare, a President in the form of one Mr. Donald J Trump.
In essence, Bernies endorsement of Clinton was not an endorsement of her policies but a result of big picture politics. To win Washington, Clinton needs Bernie voters. And it is this very fact why over the past weeks, she changed her stance on education, minimum wage and the TPP going further left toward Bernies policies-she announced a new college affordability plan that mirrored Sanders proposals promising tuition-free enrolment in public in-state colleges for families making up to $85,000, with the income benchmark increasing to $125,000 over the course of several years. She also agreed on a $15/ hour federal minimum wage.
At the end of it all, come 2017 not much would change on domestic or foreign policy fronts since Clinton would likely become President. But while Bernie may have given in to save the country from Trumps dangerous, right wing populism-and arguments could be made that supporting Clinton is not a cure for the disease-he has shown that there is a fire burning in the hearts of many Americans, young idealists they may be, who are becoming more politically aware and conscientious of where their country is headed.
But maybe their time is not now, for America - far and between Trump and Clinton supporters-still remains a country for old men.
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